Why Reporting Your Pro Bono Hours Matters

From the N.C. Pro Bono Resource Center

As attorneys and paralegals in North Carolina, you play a vital role in ensuring access to justice for all. By providing pro bono legal services, you not only help individuals and families in need, but you also contribute to strengthening our legal system and improving access to justice.

However, one crucial step often gets overlooked: reporting your pro bono hours.

The Impact of Reporting

  1. Demonstrating Commitment Reporting your hours helps quantify the legal profession’s commitment to serving the public. It shows the collective impact of the legal community in addressing unmet legal needs across our state.
  2. Securing Funding and Resources Many organizations use pro bono data to advocate for funding and resources to support legal aid initiatives. Accurate reporting strengthens their case and ensures sustained support for these critical services.
  3. Celebrating Achievements By reporting your hours, you allow the NC Pro Bono Resource Center and other professional organizations to recognize and celebrate your contributions. Highlighting your efforts can inspire others to get involved.

How to Report Your Hours

The North Carolina State Bar and the NC Board of Paralegal Certification makes it easy to report your pro bono hours through the attorney and paralegal annual dues portal. The process is quick, secure, and straightforward—and every hour counts. For paralegals who are not certified or certified by another state or national program, we will continue to collect pro bono reporting hours through the Individual Paralegal Pro Bono Reporting Form. The deadline to report hours is June 30, 2025.

Questions? Contact Sylvia Novinsky, Director of the NC Pro Bono Resource Center.